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Agreeing and Disagreeing in Spanish

There are many different ways of expressing agreement in Spanish. We can express strong or mild agreement or disagreement. And many times, we just have to admit we will never reach an agreement and "agree to disagree" as the Mexican band Café Tacuba repeats in its chorus:

 

Estemos de acuerdo

Let's agree

en no estar de acuerdo

to disagree

Captions 19-20, Café Tacuba - De acuerdo

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Expressing Agreement in Spanish

 

Common Expressions of Agreement

Some very common, mostly spoken expressions to convey agreement include clarotal cualexactamente, and (es) cierto.

 

Tienes razón. Claro. Sí.

You're right. Of course. Yes.

Caption 55, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: parecer y parecerse

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Loca se... se gustaron, la pasaron bomba y punto.

Girl, you... you liked each other, you had a great time and that's it.

Tal cual. -No te tenés que casar con él, ¿eh?

Just like that. -You don't have to marry him, huh?

Captions 25-26, Yago - 9 Recuperación

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y con las pautas de lo que es el... el espectáculo, ¿no?

and the guidelines for the... the show, right?

Exactamente.

Exactly.

Entonces lo sacamos solamente para que conozca esto.

So we take him out just so that he gets to know this.

Captions 43-44, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Coatís

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Acordar, quedar en algo (agree on something/that something should happen)

Often, the discussion is productive and ends in some sort of deliverable, something we agree to do as the outcome of an exchange of ideas.

 

Y acordamos que mi amiga me enseñaría

And we agreed that my friend would teach me

todos sus trucos para saltar muy alto,

all of her tricks to jump really high,

Caption 24, Guillermina y Candelario - Una Amiga muy Presumida

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Además, íbamos cerca,

Besides, we weren't going too far,

y quedamos en que yo era capitán,

and we agreed that I was [the] captain,

Caption 21, Guillermina y Candelario - Mi Primer Tesoro

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Trato hecho (It's a deal)

To reassure your commitment, it is common to use the phrase trato hecho, which kind of closes the deal you have made. Once this phrase is uttered, both parties will be held accountable for what they have agreed on. 

 

Perfecto, ¿mañana a qué hora?

Perfect, tomorrow at what time?

A la misma hora de hoy.

At the same time as today.

¿Trato hecho? -Perfecto.

Deal? -Perfect.

Captions 69-71, Escribiendo un libro - Algunos consejos sobre cómo comenzar

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Expressing Disagreement in Spanish

 

Expressing Strong Disagreement

Negative phrases can be emphasized with para nada or en lo más mínimo. 

 

Si tienes planes, lo entiendo.

If you have plans, I understand it.

No, no, no, para nada, no, ¿cómo se te ocurre?

No, no, no, not at all, no, how can you think that?

Captions 11-12, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 4

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No, te estaba contando una cosa

No, I was telling you one thing

pero parece que no te interesa en lo más mínimo.

but it doesn't seem to interest you in the least.

Caption 43, Muñeca Brava - 39 Verdades

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We can also emphasize that we won't do something requested by someone else with phrases like ni loca/o, de ninguna manera, antes muerta/o (not even crazy, no way, over my dead body): 

 

Vamos a mi cuarto.

Let's go to my room.

Ni loca, antes muerta.

Not even crazy, [I'd have to be] dead before.

Captions 11-12, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro

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¿Aquí?

Here?

¡De ninguna manera! ¡No!

No way! No!

Captions 41-42, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo

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Expressing Mild Disagreement

Disagreement can be introduced by softening phrases like (no) me parece  (I (don't) think). You will notice that in informal conversations, we can even omit what follows and simply say no me parece. Let's see some examples:

 

No, pero ves,

No, but you see,

ahí me parece que estás equivocado

there it seems to me that you are wrong

Captions 71-72, Muñeca Brava - 46 Recuperación

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Pues, la verdad no me parece muy buena idea porque

Well, I really don't think it's a very good idea because

anda por ahí el agente ese de seguridad preguntando por ti.

that security agent is out there asking about you.

Captions 19-20, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 4

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Que una chica se lo diga a un chico, ¿viste?

For a girl to say it to a guy, you see?

No... No me parece.

It doesn't... It doesn't seem right to me.

Caption 68, Muñeca Brava - 46 Recuperación

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We hope you all agree that these expressions will be useful, and quedemos en que las van a poner el práctica ahora mismo (let's agree that you will put them into practice right away). Trato hecho (deal)? And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.

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Vocabulary